14 - Grace B. My Inspiration

 

Throughout the entirety of my life, I’ve only grown up with ¾ of a set of grandparents. Two grandmas and one grandpa. The missing ¼ has always been a question to me. At some point he existed in our timeline, but who was he? What did he do? Do I look like him? Do we laugh the same? Every time I would ask vague questions about him to my family they would grow angry and tell me to leave. But I have only one grandfather and for the mystery I grew for the other, the more I wanted to learn about the one here with me.

My grandpa was troubled. He spent his life in and out of jail fighting against the world. He was a man that many feared. He would fight and wouldn’t have a care for the consequences. A drunk, a criminal, and a man with no sense of good in his life, I wouldn’t have been able to recognize him.

Reality struck when the amount of alcohol consumption left him hospitalized, ruining his stomach lining. He was told he was going to die, but my grandpa promised himself that if he was able to overcome this tragedy that he would be a good man and live a good life. This promise has forever been fulfilled.

I’ve always known my grandpa as the kindest man in the world. He would do anything for his family and friends. He always gives me words of wisdom when I feel pain and always makes sure to tell me that he loves me whenever he leaves. Every softball game you can see a man with a white hair and an A’s hat in the crowd cheering on his granddaughter, proud because of all the times he took me out to practice. He is truly the core of our family and radiates good energy. 

For the amount of love unaccounted for the missing piece of my grandparents, my grandpa triples it. He is the inspiration of my life. I am the luckiest person ever to have him to look up to. 

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14 - Lilly T.: Bonds

 

Family. The first thought that came to my mind when I saw this word was the manga I had been rereading over the weekend, Spy x Family. This manga is about a spy, an assassin, and a telepath who hide their real identities from one another and try to act like a normal family. Over time, all three of them discover that they truly love each other as a family. This is called the found family trope, where people who are not blood related forge deep bonds with the people who will become their family. Spy x Family is a really cute and heartwarming manga, and I would totally recommend it if you are a sucker for the found family trope, like me. 

Reading about found family makes me wonder whether found family or blood related family has a stronger connection to one another. Both take time to bond with each other, but I feel that found family has a stronger bond. They want to keep the family they have developed a strong connection to. Blood related family starts off with a connection, but it takes time to develop a strong bond. Found family skips that first step and goes straight to building that connection. The way found family tropes build that connection is so intriguing and seeing how it turns out makes you feel the same emotions the characters are feeling. I am not entirely sure why, but I just love the idea of building connections with other people, even if I am just observing. 

Appreciate the family you have now. You never know what might happen in the future.

Word Count: 271

14: Tyler B - Living in a Shadow

Few people don’t know the Pokemon games made by Nintendo, though many remember the older games more than the newer. Me personally, remember the 4th gen pokemon games because Pokemon Platinum was the 1st Pokemon game I ever played. Throughout the games you always have someone to challenge you, your rival, who grows stronger like you and has the same goal as you, become the champion. Though their dynamics have changed throughout the games, going from being mean and rude, to having different rivals, one that proves to be a real challenge, and one that is weaker and more friendly. In Pokemon Sword and Shield, it’s a bit more confusing on who is your rival, all but one character. Your best friend since childhood, Hop, whose brother is the Pokemon champion of the Galar region, literally claims you as his rival as soon as your get your first Pokemon. That’s who this blog is about, Hop, the little brother, the weak one, always hidden in the shadow his brother has cast over him.

Hop starts out the way most rivals do in these games, he comes rushing into your house, uninvited telling you that you have to rush someone with him, in this case it’s to help his brother Leon, the Pokemon league champion, make his way from the train station to their house. Upon arriving at their house, Leon presents Hop and the main character the 3 starter Pokemon of this game, after choosing one and battling each other, Leon then tasks Hop and the main character with joining the Pokemon league, and battling their way up to fight him for the rank of Champion. Hop, of course, jumps at the idea, all he has ever wanted to do it be like his brother, so of course when given the chance to reach the literally rank of his brother, why wouldn’t he take that chance. Though Hop will be faced with many challenges, one of the biggest ones being you, the main character, who beats him at every rival battle you partake in. And at first he doesn’t mind, he uses it as motivation to get stronger and keep going, much like his brother, but after the introduction of Bede, a much more talented trainer than him, who is very rude, it all starts to fall down.

Bede thinks very highly of himself and very less of others, which doesn’t work in Hops favor. Where when you fight and beat him, you are kind and help him grow stronger over battles that happen throughout the game, Bede beats him over and over again, in one sitting, taunting Hop the whole. Bede calls him a horrible trainer and asks him why he’s in the league anyways, and finally telling him he will never compare to his brother. Though Bede gets what he deserves later on (getting kicked out of the league for destroying some old ruins) Hop is still greatly affected by Bedes words. Anytime anyone sees Hop they say “oh look, it’s the champions little brother” and that gets into the thick of it, Hop is always compared to his brother and never thought of as his own person, just the champions little brother, and Hop has given into this too. He obsesses over his brother and wants to be exactly like him because that’s all people see in him, he is surrounded and enveloped in the shadow his brother has created as champion, and the things Bede said to him made him doubt a dream he’s had since he was a little kid, that he will never be strong enough to be champion, that he will never have the strength to be his own person, forced to live his life in the cold dark shadow of his brother. His brother isn’t a bad person, he has just set the bar so high for Hop that he can’t reach it and doesn’t want to ruin his brothers reputation. But through the game you help him realize that he is more than the champions brother, eventually finding his own way through life as the Pokemon professors research assistant. Though it is not the champion rank he once wished to achieve, he is happy with his new positions, which gives him the power to be his own person, finally. 

Word Count: 718

14 - Blu M: Over Time

 

The society that we live in is forever changing. It feels like just yesterday we were still watching movies on VHS tapes, or maybe that’s just me. But besides the point, our world is constantly shifting and twisting into something completely new. Tomorrow we could see flying cars on “airways” or take a domestic flight on a rocket to tour Mars. Everything changes. 

As for me? I’d like to say that I’ve changed I’m crazy ways like the world I live in, but I really haven’t. I wouldn’t say that I’m the same person that 7 year old me was, but I wouldn’t say I’m not that much different either. Years move by and I still have my same, consistent routine; wake up, go to school, come home, do work, eat, sleep, repeat. It’s as if I am an NPC in a game.  I have my favorite activities, foods, shows, artists, you name it. Even more, I have had the same dream career since I was in third grade… Talk about changing a lot throughout my years. As the world around me changes and progresses, I really just move forward as much as I need or desire.

To people outside of my personal life, it seems like I’ve changed a lot. Of course, I’ve grown up, my looks have changed, and my personality has grown, but this so-called “change” is just me opening up. I was shy growing up and now that I’ve finally broken out of my shell and hopped out of the nest, I seem like a new person. This apparent change is only significant to others, and not me. People have begun to perceive me in different ways, so of course everyone will think I have changed. Think of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly; the creature is still of the same species, has the DNA, and essentially does the same thing after their metamorphosis. A butterfly becomes something beautiful, and yet they still thrive in a similar way to their root species.

Though I myself haven’t changed, I do indulge in the changes around me. I love new technology, the most recent trending videos in social media, interesting media found in the news, new clothing designs, the list can go on for ages. The way I enjoy and splurge on these enjoyments do contribute to my own “change” that people see. And yet once again, I myself never change in the process. 

Recently, I have made it a goal to change more. It was actually ironic to see this prompt as a choice for blogs this week. Changing over time comes naturally, but pushing myself to become a newer, better version of myself is not so natural. Sticking to what I’ve known for quite literally 10 years is absurd and a more clear change should’ve been made ages ago. Though I am nearly the exact same as I was years ago, I am still the best version of myself that I can be at the time. Regardless of anything as such, change or no change is all ok! 

Word Count: 512

14. Kaiyue L. - Keep Hustling

 “The dream is free; the hustle is sold separately.”

How do we go from our dream to making it a success? HUSTLE! Be energetic, and go after what you want every day!

Nobody said life would be easy. Nobody said you were going to get super rich without working a day in your life. I have realized that everyone wants to become successful, get rich while being absolutely free and not working a day in their lives. Not everyone can be a Kardashian.

Sometimes I feel I have taken more on my plate then I can chew. There is so much work that I am usually up late meeting deadlines when I should have been watching the new episode of Bridgerton. I have no complaints with school though, I enjoy my classes and the company of my friends, but I just wish, I really wish there were more than 24 hours in a day.

Half of my day is already gone in sleeping and walking my dog, and the rest half is spent continuously working and ignoring all the stupid stuff my dog does to get my attention. And while I was feeling bad about my overworked life, I see people who do seemingly nothing to benefit themselves or others in the long run. 

You can dream and you have every right to. It does make you feel better but if you want your dream to come true without you completely wanting it, it will not happen. It means that you must be willing to make sacrifices and be committed to it from start to end.

Doers do and dreamers don't. That's where it all begins - with the actual doing. It's easy to pin a motivational quote on the wall or put it on your bathroom mirror or screen saver. That requires little to no effort. However, if you're serious about getting to the top of your profession, it's going to require some real effort- real work; the real hustle, and some additional hours. It's not for everyone which is another reason why there's always room at the top.

To get something you never had— you have to do something you never did. The dream is free— but the hustle is sold separately. 

Wc: 374

14 - Lucas V: The Day My PC was Built

 

    In months prior to December of 2020, I decided to get a pc and a whole new setup because at the time my desk was very tiny, and also the laptop that I used for school was way too slow to do Zoom and also run school work at the same time. During those few months before I built the pc, I had watched all the tutorials and also asked my uncle what parts I should get for my build. Then the weeks ahead the parts game one by one. Most of the parts were cheap because I bought them during Black Friday on Thanksgiving. I ordered everything needed like a motherboard, cpu, gpu(graphics card), etc. When I bought my gpu, there wasn't a shortage of chips and there weren’t as many scalpers back then as now.

   Now to the building part. Before I built the computer, I had to schedule a time to Skype my uncle because he knows how to build a computer since my parents and I didn’t know how to do it. The first Saturday of December was when I actually built the computer. It was after lunch around like 2 pm and I was ready to do it. I remembered that my hands were sweaty since these parts were expensive and because I haven’t done this before. We started with the motherboard and the cpu and it was sort of hard. I had some help from my parents to make sure I didn’t break it. After that, it was smooth sailing. Got the case and opened both of the panels so that I could put the motherboard into it and then put all the other stuff like ram and also the gpu. I had some problems with the cables on the powersupply but after some fondling with it, I got the cable into the slot and the computer turned on.

    Now it was the first time to boot the actual system like connecting it to the monitor and configuring the bios. When it first booted I was happy because it actually worked. I was proud of what I made and I basically know what and how to fix or upgrade something for the computer. After a year of getting use to the computer, I decided to cable manage everything so that there weren’t any wires just hanging out where I can see it. Let me tell you, it was pretty nice after. Instead of having wires in front of the rgb it was clearly showing all the colors. Just recently I put in a new Nvme ssd and that thing is really fast. I mainly use that storage to play my games instead of a hard drive.

Specs(not included in word count): AMD Ryzen 7 3700x(cpu), Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 16 GB(ram), Msi Radeon Rx 5500xt mech 8 GB OC edition(graphics card), Asus X570-Plus Wi-Fi(motherboard), NZXT H510(case)

Word Count: 453

14- Khiem D. : A Long Rant About Change

A Long Rant About Change

    Ever since I’ve been basically restricted for an indefinite amount of time from writing about random bits of media to “challenge myself”, here’s an attempt. For the most part, this is more about personal philosophy for the most part and with all good philosophies, it’s vague, especially coming from a shut-in who has seen more from a screen than taking a short walk. Change has always been a really engaging topic, for the most part, most people would agree with me that change is a good thing. Whether it be great or absolutely the worst thing you’ve experienced in your life, change is a net good while also being an inevitability.

    Like our world, we are ever-changing, each day 100,000,000,000 cells in our bodies are replaced, each day we see a new day ripe with challenges we grow from. In that way we mirror the world as to be apart of the earth is to change, nothing in the world is immune and it’s beautiful to know every sunrise and sunset will never be the same. Yet there is a right to fear change, even if it is out of our control, even if it is pleasurable to experience new things, we know that it isn’t always going to be good. Even if it is, because of human psychology some of us can’t perceive the good, everyday bound to feelings of intense sadness. Yet that is how it is, some things are just there but there won’t always be as being in the natural cycle of the world guarantees change, always.

    I’ve hardly experienced the world, being young and all that really does limit your options, but from what I’ve seen, I haven’t really remembered much of anything. No memories of particularly joyful experiences nor memories of especially crushing lows. The knowledge that things never last long makes everything I experience feel really small in scope so I don’t remember much, as if my memories are adrift in the changing world in front of me. Experiences come and go naturally so as cliche as it sounds I just roll with it, like the change in the waves shifts a directionless boat, complacent just to be, because what else is there except the sea it floats on.

Word Counter: 377

14 - Charlene H: My 17th Birthday

Challenge: descriptive piece about a favorite birthday memory.

Generally, I don’t see my birthday as something special, but there is one particular day that I still look back on even if the things I did were simple.

My 17th birthday in 2021 was the only day in 17 months of social isolation I got to see friends in person. Though I loved my sedentary lifestyle, not being able to see friends for over a year was hard on me. But my 17th birthday was the first day in a long time that happiness truly and quietly bloomed within me. I logged on, took on the role of a different character, and immersed myself in a world unlike the one I was in—both figuratively and literally.

The second person I had invited came to my house at 1 PM, and we played Pinball FX3, Trivial Pursuit Live!, and Overcooked 2 on my PS4. She and my mom also got to know each other when we were eating in the dining room. At 3 PM, the first person I had invited arrived. The girl and I continued playing our game for about five minutes before she had to leave.

Sometime after I led her out the door, my other friend played my guitar. I was captivated by the music and drowned in its chords. The sounds were deep, pure, and soothingly warming. I had always heard him playing guitar through videos and even through two phone calls. But seeing him play in front of me for the first time, his hands plucking at the strings, the notes that he played—it was enchanting.

After he was done, we played Overcooked 2 and Goat Simulator. We also ate my birthday cake after my parents and brother sang “Happy Birthday” to me. Eventually, my friend left my house when it was almost 6 PM.

To many, this may have seemed like an ordinary day with friends, but to me, it has value. At the time, I hadn’t seen friends in person for over a year, so hanging out with friends meant I was doing things that I couldn’t in my normal life. Like video games, that day invited me to step into a new and transcendent space. It inspired different kinds of interactions and play. It allowed me to forget my worries.

I think it is necessary to mention that I was happy even when I didn’t receive any material gifts, which show the worth of experiences. Though new gadgets could be exciting for a short amount of time, the pleasure eventually wears off. What doesn’t wear off is the delight of memories and experiences; they can last a lifetime. While it is true that my friends and I used objects, the act of hanging out with friends was what made me happy. It’s not always the objects that matter. It’s the way we go through new experiences.

I will always remember my 17th birthday. What I did was a sunbeam that filled me with joy on a rainy day.

Word Count: 497

14:Krishna Clay-Family

 

Families come in all shapes and sizes, some connected by blood and some through non tangible bonds. There is no set definition of family in the real world, it means many things to different people. 

For me family isn’t blood but it is a connection that I have between myself and the person. I have friends that are like family to me, that doesn’t mean that we hangout everyday, or that we have everything in common. It means that they contain all the traits I want in the people around myself. 

Everyone that I would consider family is different, some are athletes, some are hard working driven people, and some are people that are like little brothers to me. By diversifying my family I feel like it has taught me so many different views of life, I have been able to understand why certain people act the way they do. It has also taught me what I like and don't like in people.

Family has always been different from person to person, my meaning of family are the people I love and that's it. 

WC-184

14- Antonio L: Jack Of All Trades

 Jack Of All Trades

Are you more like change or the same? In people’s “Are you more like…?” blogs, They always start off with the question they’re asked and then make comparisons between the two choices and why they chose one over another. And me writing the beginning like this has a meaning to my message to this blog.

There are both pros and cons to changing and staying the same. Pros for change would be that you get something different out of your life, leaving you wondering what the next day will bring, and it allows you to get that spice on your palate of bland normality. 

Cons to change is the fear of repetition and unsureness of your own future. You put so much effort into making changes and taking leaps every day that you don’t know what will happen in the future. You’ve become too unpredictable, even for yourself. And if you try to slow things down, you’ll find yourself picking up old habits and end up back at the start.

Of course, this can’t be seen as a con to everyone since you still get to learn new things and have new experiences to help you in the future, making yourself pretty proficient in many fields that could be useful in the future.

As for staying the same, the pros would be having control of how you do things, and staying within your comfort range. You don’t have to take many or any risks, and you get to do things you can control and understand. You follow a routine, and you stick to it because you like it.

The con however is becoming predictable. Someone can take advantage of your cycle and throw it into disarray, usually for personal gain. Becoming accustomed to a certain way of living and having it fall apart by unexpected change can make people in some ways dysfunctional. 

Having to think on your feet in stressful situations will be a permanent way of life, and people who follow the same routine over and over won’t be able to think for themselves if they’re not following what they normally do.

Now that I’ve done the comparison, what am I more like, change or the same? 

It’s predictable, but I’m more like the change. Change is always going to happen in life, so why not be part of the change, usually for both you and others that also get affected by change. There are always more benefits in terms of long-term situations when making change. Connections that never would’ve been made without change can build a new perspective of living life for someone.

There’s nothing wrong with staying the same however. If doing things one way is better efficient for someone, then it’ll work for that person. You can stick to your normal schedules, but eventually you’ll have to be prepared for change, because change can happen at any given moment.

Word Count: 484

14- Alejandro M: We Hate it and Love It

 

Change. The one thing that many people hate. People also know that change can be beneficial and help bring out a better person. I am one of those people who understand that change is helpful, but also don’t like it at all.

I have lived most of my life living the same way. Hanging out with very few people, focused usually on only school, being very quiet. 16 years of the same thing. It made me be the way I am: calm and quiet. This junior year I have tried to put myself out there more. Many new things that I have tried. It has made me encounter many new people and has brought me many new friends and more people to talk to. But even with these new experiences that have brought me some new things to be happy about, it tired me. I just wasn’t used to this change. I lost a lot of energy because of this change and struggled to keep myself up. 

I have been going back to my usual life, the “boring” one, and have been enjoying myself again. I’m ready to finish off this school year with lots of energy. Some people have told me that I need to become more social and try new things, and I do agree with them, but not completely. I did enjoy those activities that made me more social and I still look forward to that. But living in a quiet world again where I don’t have to worry about anything else but myself is a life I grew up with and enjoy more than putting myself out there. 

This change I experienced earlier in the year helped me learn a lot about myself and I don’t regret it, even when I felt like I was losing myself. It brought me something new to look forward to and has helped me open myself up to new experiences. Without the change, I would probably still be living my normal life without experiencing new highs and lows to my life. This change has made me want to experience new and different things that are out of my comfort zone. Change is the only way this would’ve happened.

Word Count: 368